Get the right mixes for your studio

Are you someone who is worried about the gears needed for good sound recording?

In the past, audio editing used to be a very tough job. The access to instruments and equipment were limited due to their high prices. But today, you can edit your audio using a computer, a simple editing software and a microphone. You can get some great results even with cheap equipment today. Whether it’s for polishing up the music of your album, or the soundtrack for a new film, a good audio editing software is necessary to get rid of the noise, edit tracks, convert your files and deliver the whole thing. Here are the top audio editing software that you can use.

This software is applicable for Mac, Windows and Linux. This is a free and open source software. This software makes audio editing easy and simple. If you are a DJ and you want to polish your sets before sharing it on the web, or just want to get rid of the noise from your music collection, then you can use Audacity. This software is very simple and gets job done fast. It supports various file types including mp3, WAV, OGG, AIFF, etc. It can also record live audio for editing and exporting later.

With Audacity you can record tracks in either mono or stereo format using sample rate of up to 96 kHz and 32 bit floating point sample format. The process of recording a track is right in front of you; its just a little slide control which lets you adjust the input volume. The software is capable of multi-track recording. You can use the options cut, copy and paste with this software. It has a spectrogram view for spectrum analysis. Its flexible features are very good for home projects, like digitizing vinyl or old cassettes or basement mixes.

This software is compatible for Windows and Mac. It was formerly known as Cool Edit Pro. Adobe Audition is a very powerful tool for audio editing, remixing, splicing and restoration. It has a very friendly interface. It is easy to pick up, but has a wide range of features that are sometimes difficult to master. You can use the built-in effects of the tool to add fineness to your recordings. You can set up your frequent changes easily and batch process many audio files with the same settings, tracks, mix multiple, etc.

This software is also compatible for Mac and Windows machines. It is more like a DAW. It can also edit existing audio. Professional musicians use this tool for album mixes and studio recordings. DJs use this to correct the errors in their mixes, and music producers can put together the whole album in a very less time. It costs about $699. There are various plug-ins which extends it’s functionality. It can work well with studio equipment. It has built-in instruments and music composition tools.

You can use this software on your Mac or Windows computer. It is another DAW and is popular for its flexible and extensive features. It has customization options. It has a number of plug-ins that extends its use. It is convenient for non-professionals as well. Whether you want to record music from amateur setup or professional gear, you can use this software. There are many built-in features and effects that make your music sound much better. The software is not free, but has a very long free trial period. If you want to do multi-tracking, sound design or music production along with audio editing, then you should use this software.

Audio editing software are very handy and you can use it easily to edit your sound and so a lot of other activities with it. The software has very extensive features which you can use to make music sound clear, without any noise or distortion. You should have a good audio editing software for your home studio.

The vinyl record is a kind of gramophone record which was very popular from 1950s to the 1990s. It was mostly used for mass production of music. A vinyl gramophone is made of a disc of polyvinyl chloride plastic; that is engraved on both sides with a single concentric spiral groove. There is a diamond or sapphire needle or stylus that was used to run from the outside edge towards the middle. The use of gramophone slowly declined due to the invention of cassettes and CDs. But people are still fascinated about this ancient record and have them in their collection. Here are some very interesting facts about vinyl recordings.

Vinyl recordings have been around for a very long time. It can be traced back to the early 19th century in France. A man named Emile Berliner invented the flat disc record in 1888. It was produced from vulcanized rubber of about 12.5 cm – 18 cm thick. The format of the disc improved with time. It went through a number of transformations in both the materials used and the recording methods.

A Japanese company has come up with a turntable that will help in keeping the vinyl in best condition. There are three versions of it. You will need to spend at least $14,000 for the base model.

Urban Outfitters is not the best vinyl album retailer. Amazon is at present the best retailer of vinyl sales according to Billboard. It has about 12.3% market share. Urban Outfitters is in the second place with 8.1% market share. Independent retailers also have a good number of sales. This helps to keep the overall market alive.

There is a difference in sound between black vinyl and colored vinyl. Even though most records are black, you will still find some records in different colors. These colored vinyls are considered to be very valuable for the collectors, as they can be rarely found. There is a difference in sound between the two-colored discs. The colored discs degrade faster when you play them.

Vinyl records produce a static charge easily. This means that they will attract dirt and dust. You must take good care of them by wiping them properly and keeping them clean.

There is a record for aliens on Voyager spacecraft. When the Voyager spacecraft was launched in 1977, NASA placed a record called ‘Voyager Golden Record’ inside the spacecraft. This record contains sound, music, and images that describe life on Earth. The intention of this record was that if there was any intelligent life form out in the space, then it will listen to it. The record contents were decided by a committee. The tape includes songs of whales and birds, spoken greetings in 55 modern and ancient languages. It has had a musical collection which includes Beethoven, Chuck Berry, Bach and many more.

Since 1993, the business of vinyl sales increased. The sales figure was only about 0.3 million in 1993, but later continued to increase. Many people thought that vinyl records will disappear due to the invention of electronic music. But this didn’t happen. Many artists are now recording their music on vinyl.

The first 12 inch recording was actually Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. RCA Victor came up with a long playing record for his home in 1931. It had 10 inch discs which were used for popular music and 12 inch discs were used for classical music. This kind of record was pressed in Victrolac, a new vinyl based company. This provided a quieter playing surface. The 12 inch discs could accommodate up to 15 minutes per side. The Fifth Symphony by Beethoven was the first 12 inch recording that was performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.

The Great Depression affected the sales of LP. RCA Victor released commercially available consumer LP in 1930. But the timing was very bad, as Great Depression was happening then. This resulted in poor sales. During the Great Depression, consumers didn’t want to spend their valuable money of something that they were not sure would work.

The first record paper was invented in 1857. It was made by a French scientist named Leon Scott. He used a vibrating diaphragm which could record sound waves on paper. He used this only for visual analysis. But this set the stage for the invention of gramophone.

All these facts are very fascinating about vinyl recordings. To me, the most fascinating fact is the revival of this old form of record even at the time of electronic music. In an era where we are flooded with articles about the best soundbars, the smallest bluetooth speakers and wi fi audio streaming, it’s amazing that it is no more part of a collector’s item; people of all walks of life still love this product and buy it for listening to music.

If you can record better audio, then your song or music will sound better. Here are three essential tips on recording better audio.

1. Buy a good quality microphone

Buy a good microphone and you will be able to record better audio. It is not necessary that you have to buy an expensive microphone. You can get some high quality microphone in an affordable range also.

2. Maintain a consistent environment.

It would be nice if you had a recording studio where you could control all your sound. But it is not practically possible. So, you will have to do your best to control the recording environment. One way is to develop a consistent routine for recording. This way you will be able to match the audio quality in a better way. You should try to use the same room and keep the same settings on your computer and microphone set up. When using desktop microphone, use a mic stand and measure the recording distance. This way you can have the same set up next time.

3. Avoid having as much of the ambient noise as you can

You need complete silence for good audio recording. But this will never happen. All you can do is try to minimize the noise as much as possible. You should turn off air conditioners and fans, and place your microphone away from your computer. You should tell everyone in the room, and also outside the room, to be quiet. You can put signs on the door.

Recording is a very sensitive job. You need to make sure that you keep noise to a minimum level in order to record better audio.

When you start to make a home studio, it’s very challenging to stay on budget. This is because for good sound recording, you need the right gadgets. With some research you can find some affordable gadgets, like microphones.

Here are some of the best affordable microphones you can buy.

Shure SM58

This is a dynamic microphone that you can get for just $100. You can use this microphone both live and in the studio. This will produce decent vocal sound and good boosts on the right places. It is a good for distorted guitars as well. It can take high volume of screaming without distorting. This is a good choice for artists who are comfortable singing with the microphone in hand.

Rode NT3

You can get this microphone for $200 to $300. It is a good choice for acoustic guitars, drums and percussion. It is also good for vocals.

Audio Technica AT2020

This is a very good microphone that is designed particularly for project studios and home users. You can record everything with it, from vocals to acoustic instruments, drum overheads and strings. You can get it for $100 to $150.

Shure KSM27

Shure is one of the most reputed microphone manufacturers in the world. This microphone is one of the best ones in an affordable range. This microphone can be used in studio and also for live performances. You can get this microphone for $300 to $400.

If you are setting up a studio, then you can buy one of these affordable microphones. A good microphone is essential for better audio recording.

Setting up a home recording studio can be complex and expensive. But with some suggestions, you can make a home studio quite comfortably. Manufacturers have also come up with some affordable gears, for which you can set up your home studio without spending a fortune. Here are the steps in setting up a home recording studio.

1. Choosing the right space

You should choose the right room to set up your home studio. Avoid cramped spaces; the bigger the room, the better it is. Having a bigger room means you will be able to accommodate more musicians and instruments. Also, bigger room produces better sound. You should try to minimize the noise around you. You might not notice the intensity of everyday noise. In a microphone, the noise is magnified 100 times! Common sources of noise include cars, plumbing, birds, neighbors, rain, wind, etc. These noises can spoil your recordings. Therefore, you should choose a room where the noise level is low. Ideally, you need a perfectly silent space where you can make as much noise as you want at any time. So, you need to be careful about your neighbors too. After all, you don’t want them to come to your house in the middle of the night and complain about the sound. You should consider some kind of soundproofing so that you can create a decent studio.

The flooring of the room you choose for your studio is very important. It is best to have a tile, concrete or hardwood flooring. Carpeted rooms are not good as they carpet wears out quickly. Carpets also absorb high frequencies and not the low ones. So, this affects room acoustics negatively.

Ideally, you must have a large room with high ceilings, asymmetrical walls and irregular surfaces for good acoustics. But, practically, this is not possible. Professional studios spend a lot of money in designing their studio in such a way that they produce good acoustics. In case of home studio, you just have to pick up the best room possible having similar features.

2. Transforming the room

You need to clear off all floor space, take out anything that vibrates and clear the walls as well. You should now add acoustic treatment to your room; otherwise, it will be impossible to do recordings. You should have bass traps, acoustic panels and diffusers. If you are on budget, then you can ignore buying diffusers. Next, you need reflection filters.

3. Setting up your gear

Now that your room is ready, you need to start buying the gears for your home studio. You need to separate your room into two areas: a mixing area for the engineers and a recording area for the musicians. For the recording area, you need a microphone, microphone stand, chair, DI boxes, and instruments. For the mixing area, you need audio interface, computer, etc. Let’s have a look at some of these gears.

External hard disc drive

You can get some cheap external hard disc drive now. But, it is a good idea to buy a decent one so you have less chance of crashing.

Monitor speakers

You need a pair of good quality monitor speakers to hear the sounds you are recording. You can get monitor speakers in different shapes, sizes and budgets. Monitors ensure that your mixes sound well no matter where you listen to them.

Heating matters

This is a topic that is usually neglected by most people. If you are planning to spend a significant amount of time in that studio make sure you have a proper heating set up there, one of the best possible ways to heat a room and not damage the equipment is through infrared heating. There are a lot of expensive solutions out there but working with a small brand like Almac – Инфрачервено Отопление (mind the non-English!) could result in having great heating solution on a decent budget.

Computer

This is the main component of a home studio. Whichever computer you buy you must make sure that there is enough RAM. You must have a RAM of size 4GB or more. It must have a steady processor which will ensure that you can work smoothly. You need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). These are the programmes in which you will record and edit your music. You will also do the mixing and add effects. You must find a good DAW with all the features included in it. You should learn to use a DAW. You will find plenty of videos in the YouTube and many forums where you will see how to use the various features of DAW. You can add a number of plug-ins to your DAW also.

Audio interface

You need an audio interface that will get your sounds into your DAW. These are high quality, external and dedicated sound card that will take your audio signal from your microphone, guitar or keyboard. It then converts it into something that can be captured by the computer. This interface will be able to record as many inputs as needed. For example, if you need guitar and vocal, you need two inputs. But if you need bass, guitar and multi-miking drums then you will need more inputs. The audio interface outputs the audio signal to the monitor speakers as well. It controls the various incoming and outgoing volume levels.

MIDI controller

Different DAWs have different built-in instruments. These are controlled using MIDI. It takes information from an external source and converts it into musical commands. MIDI controllers can handle lots of tasks. The users can play basic piano or add synth bass to a song. .

With these steps you can easily set up your home studio. You should have a budget and then try to buy the best gears within that budget. With some thought, it is possible to have an affordable home studio for your recording and editing purposes.

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Bill Samuel is the CEO and co-Founder of Get Happy Records. He welcomes you to the site and please reach out to him if you need anything! Read More…